[Interconnection of interleukin-1 and glucocorticoid hormones in regulating the immune response].

IL-1 and hydrocortisone have an opposite and competitive effect on the lymphocyte proliferation in cell culture. In mice recombinant human IL-1 beta dose-dependently induces high level serum corticosterone. Injection of IL-1 beta or hydrocortisone led to a similar alterations in the thymus: reduction of cellularity and decrease in spontaneous thymocyte proliferation. On the other hand in the same doses IL-1 beta stimulates spleen cell proliferation. IL-2 production and enhances serum antibody titres and the number of antibody producing cells in spleen of mice immunized with T-dependent antigen.